LEARNING CENTER

February 2018

January 23, 2018

Ask Rachel - February 2018

February, The Month of Love. The stores are filled with beautiful, chocolate filled valentines. Love cards are flying off the shelf in anticipation of sending the greatest words of love that the card company could create to the ones you truly love. Your credit card is screaming “Don’t do it”, but you must, it is in the name of LOVE after all.

Oh, this thing called LOVE. It makes the world go around! But are we utilizing our precious love in the right way? LOVE is not about one day out the year. Love is who and what we are, every day.

Those suffering with addiction tend to disregard love as unimportant. When we study the ‘Hierarchy of Values” a common training tool in recovery. We ask the individual to list (5) of the most important things in their life. They normally list things like family, job, kids, spouse, home, security, money. Great answers! But for an addict they are not true statements. An addict will compromise or sacrifice things that are most dear to them for their drug of choice. Most of them do not realize they are even doing it until it is too late.

This February, let’s look at True Love as more than a day. Let us celebrate by taking the first step in loving yourself. You can probably think of a lot of reasons not to love yourself. You may even have a lot of people around you that are confirming that you do not deserve love. This is a very dark place to be in. Good News! You have the power to turn on the light switch! Here are just a few things you can do to start healing.

Surround yourself with positive, caring people. DecisionPoint Wellness Center has support meetings every day of the week. They are free to the public. These meetings provide professional certified counselors that volunteer their time to assist you and your families with recovery. These meetings are filled with people just like you either in recovery or contemplating recovery. The atmosphere is warm, kind and inviting. You will fill at ease within minutes of entering the building. See www.dpwellnesscenter.com or call 404-400-1919 EXT 3 for meeting times and dates.

Get a physical. You have been very hard on your body and your brain. Get the help you need to clear your body and mind of toxins. Discuss Co-Concurring issues with your Medical Doctor. 90% of addicts have a co-concurring issue. Bi-Polar, Depression, Anxiety, Phobias, Trauma and many other issues cause a person to self-medicate to the point of addiction. Give yourself every possible chance at a successful recovery.

Love yourself. Love yourself before anything else and that love will spill over in abundance to all that you hold dear. A person that truly loves themselves will make the best choices for their wellbeing. They will choose happy over sad, they will choose right over wrong and they will choose love over hate. Take this month of LOVE to begin your journey to a happier, healthier life. Write a journal about all the things you care about and read it daily. Instead of buying a card, write a letter to those you love and express how much they really mean to you. Make the gift this year YOU. Be present, be sober. Buy the chocolate! Who does not enjoy a heart shaped box full of delicious delights?

If you have any questions you would like to discuss, please send a confidential e-mail to me at: RGoodwin@DPwellnesscenter.com . If I post your question on Facebook, I will not use your name or any personal information.

I wish you all a Wonderful Valentine’s Day filled with the things that matter most. LOVE!